Quantitative Assessment of Skin Oiliness during Shodhana Snehapana - A Prospective Observational Analytical Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70066/jahm.v14i10.2773Keywords:
Digital Skin Moisture Meter, Oiliness of Skin, Panchakarma, Shodhana Snehapana, Snehana Karma, Twaka Snigdhata.Abstract
Background: Shodhana Snehapana is an internal oleation procedure and forms the most crucial component of Purva Karma (Preparatory procedures), as the success of subsequent Shodhana (Purification)procedures depends upon the adequacy of Snehana. Twaka Snigdhata (oiliness of skin) is an important indicator of proper oleation and is traditionally assessed subjectively using Anumana Pramana (Inferential reasoning), such as tactile examination or scratching of the skin. However, subjective assessment lacks standardization and may lead to inaccurate clinical decisions. In the present era, there is a growing need for objective tools to quantify classical Ayurvedic parameters. Objectives: The present study was undertaken to quantitatively assess Twaka Snigdhata during Shodhana Snehapana (Purificatory internal oleation) and to evaluate its relationship with the oleation process using a Digital Skin Moisture Meter. Methods: The study was conducted at Parul Institute of Ayurveda, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat. Fifty volunteers fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled. Skin oiliness was measured using a Digital Skin Moisture Meterat the midpoint of the volar aspect of the forearm from the first day of Snehapana until the appearance of Samyak Snigdha Lakshanas (clinical features indicating adequate oleation). Result: A significant increase in estimated skin-oiliness scores was observed during Shodhana Snehapana. Compared with Day 1, skin oiliness did not differ significantly on Day 2 (β = 0.040, 95% CI: −0.272–0.352, p = 0.802), whereas significantly higher estimated skin-oiliness scores were observed on Days 3, 4, 5, and 6 (all p < 0.001), indicating progressive increase in oiliness of the skin. Conclusion: The findings suggest that quantitative assessment of skin oiliness may have potential utility as an objective adjunct for monitoring Twaka Snigdhata (oiliness of the skin) during Shodhana Snehapana. Digital assessment of skin oiliness may complement the traditional clinical evaluation of Samyaka Snigdha Lakshanas.
References
Vidhyadhar shukla, Ravidatta tripathi (editor),Charak samhita of Agnivesha, part -1, Sutrasthana, chapter 13, verse no. 99 ,2006 edition, Varanasi; Chaukhambha samskrit Pratisthan ; 2006; 210.
Sharma P.V.(editor), Susruta Samhita with English translation of text and Dalhana's commentary along with critical notes, Vol – 2, chikitsa Sthan chapter 33, verse no. 47, 2004 edition,Varanasi ; Chaukhambha Visvabharati ; 2004; 587.
Abhay Katyayan (editor), Bhela samhita of maharsi bhela edited with hindi commentary notes and appendices, Sutrasthana chapter 14, verse no. 11, 1st edition, Chaukhambha samskrit Pratisthan; 2009; 80.
Vidhyadhar shukla, Ravidatta tripathi (editor), Charak samhita of Agnivesha, part -1 , Sutrasthana, chapter 22, verse no. 10 ,2006 edition, Varanasi; Chaukhambha samskrit Pratisthan ; 2006; 309.
Vidhyadhar shukla, Ravidatta tripathi (editor), Charak samhita of Agnivesha, part -1 , Sutrasthana, chapter 13, verse no. 79 ,2006 edition, Varanasi; Chaukhambha samskrit Pratisthan ; 2006; 208.
Vidhyadhar shukla, Ravidatta tripathi (editor), Charak samhita of Agnivesha, part -1 , Sutrasthana, chapter 13, verse no. 75-76 ,2006 edition, Varanasi; Chaukhambha samskrit Pratisthan ; 2006; 207.
Sharma R, Gargotikar S, Indapurkar K. Quantitative assessment of moisture content of skin and its co-relation with Prakruti with the help of digital moisture monitor for skin. International Journal of Ayurvedic Medicine. 2014 Oct;5(4): 271-277. Available on:
https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10543.61600
Vidhyadhar shukla, Ravidatta tripathi (editor), Charak samhita of Agnivesha, part -1 , Sutrasthana, chapter 13, verse no. 53-56 , 2006 edition, Varanasi; Chaukhambha samskrit Pratisthan ; 2006; 205.
K. R. Shrikantha Murthy (editor), Astanga Hridayam of Vagbhata with English translation, notes, Appendix and Indices, Sutrasthana chapter 16, verse no. 6-7, 2011 edition, Chaukhambha Krishnadas Academy, Varanasi; 2011; 209.
Sharma P.V. (editor), Susruta Samhita with English translation of text and Dalhana's commentary along with critical notes, Vol – 2, chikitsaSthan, chapter 31, verse no. 46-48, 2004 edition, Varanasi, Chaukhambha Visvabharati; 2004; 563.
Vidhyadhar shukla, Ravidatta tripathi (editor), Charak samhita of Agnivesha, part -1 , Sutrasthana, chapter 13, verse no. 58 ,Varanasi, 2006 edition, Chaukhambha samskrit Pratisthan ; 2006; 206.
Sharma P.V. (editor), Susruta Samhita with English translation of text and Dalhana's commentary along with critical notes, Vol – 2, chikitsaSthan, chapter 31, verse no. 53, 2004 edition, Varanasi; Chaukhambha Visvabharati ; 2004; 564.
K.R. Srikantha Murthy (editor), Astanga Samgraha of Vagbhata with English translation , notes and index ,Vol-1 , Sutrasthana,chapter 25, verse no. 49, 5th edition, Chaukhambha orientalia;2006; 367.
P.V. Tiwari (editor), Kashyap samhita of Vriddhajivakiya tantra with English translation and commentary , Sutrasthan, chapter 22, verse no. 34, Chaukhambha Visvabharati , Varansi ; reprint 2013; 31.
Rajkala ramteke, Vinodkumar G, Meharjan T.An open clinical trial to analyze samyak snigdha lakshana of shodhana snehapana with mahatiktahakam ghritam in psoriasis, AYU- An International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda October 2011; 32(4):519-525. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.96126
Wang X, Andrinopoulou ER, Veen KM, Bogers AJJC, Takkenberg JJM. Statistical primer: an introduction to the application of linear mixed-effects models in cardiothoracic surgery outcomes research-a case study using homograft pulmonary valve replacement data. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2022;62(4):ezac429. Available on: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9496250/
Vidhyadhar shukla, Ravidatta tripathi (editor), Charak samhita of Agnivesha, part -1 , Sutrasthana chapter 1, verse no. 44, 2006 edition, Varanasi, Chaukhambha samskrit Pratisthan; 2006;13.
Yadavji Trikamji (editot), Susruta Samhita with Nibandhasangraha commentary of Dalhaṇacharya, Sutrasthana, chapter 35, verse no. 16, Varanasi Chaukhambha Surbharati Prakashan; 2017; 152.
Kaushik A, Gaur MB. The Role of Prakriti in Skin Health: A Cross-sectional Observational Study to Understand Twak Snigdhta Variation in Different Prakriti Individual Journal of Ayurveda. 2025;19(3):253-258. https://www.ovid.com/jnls/joay/fulltext/10.4103/joa.joa_298_23~the-role-of-prakriti-in-skin-health-a-cross-sectional
Kavita Chambyal, Om Prakash Dadhich. Development of the assessment criteria and validation of twak sarata. AYUSHDHARA, 2022;9(1):7-12. Available on https://ayushdhara.in/index.php/ayushdhara/article/view/880
Vidhyadhar shukla, Ravidatta tripathi (editor), Charak samhita of Agnivesha, part -1 , Sutrasthana, chapter 13, verse no. 61, 2006 edition, Varanasi; Chaukhambha samskrit Pratisthan; 2006; 13.
Vidhyadhar shukla, Ravidatta tripathi (editor), Charak samhita of Agnivesha, part -1 , Sutrasthana chapter 13, verse no.62-64,2006 edition, Varanasi; Chaukhambha samskrit Pratisthan; 2006; 13.
P B, Kadambari & Ck, Prathibha et al. Development and validation of a tool to assess the samyak snigdha laksana using the principles of psychometrics in ayurveda, Eur. Chem. Bull. 2023; 12(10):2080-2088, Available on : https://www.eurchembull.com/archives/volume-12/issue-10/9017
Patil, S., & Sathavane, G.. A clinical study on shodhananga snehapana with special reference to Samyak Snigdha Lakshana. International Journal of Ayurvedic Medicine.2021; 12(3); 544–548. https://doi.org/10.47552/ijam.v12i3.2112
Sree Lekshmi. The physiological aspect of snehapana. International Journal of Ayurvedic and Herbal Medicine.2017; 7:6: v7i6.09. Available on https://interscience.org.uk/index.php/archive/volume-7-issue-6-nov-dec-2017.
Rogiers V. EEMCO guidance for the assessment of transepidermal water loss in cosmetic sciences. Skin Pharmacol Appl Skin Physiol. 2001;14:117–128. doi: doi.org/10.1159/000056341 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11316970/
Du Plessis J, Stefaniak A, Eloff F, et al. International guidelines for the in vivo assessment of skin properties in non-clinical settings: Part 2. Transepidermal water loss and skin hydration. Skin Res Technol. 2013; 19(3):265-278. doi:10.1111/srt.12037 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23331328/
Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Varshida J. Marwadi, Dr. Nisha Munishwar, Dr. Sunil Nikhate
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain the copyright of their work and grant the Journal of Ayurveda and Holistic Medicine (JAHM) the right of first publication. All published articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license, which permits non-commercial sharing, use, distribution, and adaptation with proper attribution and the same license terms.
JAHM ensures free, irrevocable, worldwide access to its content. Users may copy, distribute, display, and share published works for non-commercial purposes with appropriate credit to the author(s) and the journal. Limited printed copies for personal, non-commercial use are allowed under the same license.
If a submission is not accepted for publication, the author(s) will be notified.
By submitting, authors confirm that the work is original, that all listed authors have contributed and approved it, and that it does not infringe any third-party rights or duplicate work submitted elsewhere.
